VISAKHAPATNAM: The nine-decades-old Andhra University, which has got 69th position in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings for higher educational institutions in India this year, is reeling under acute shortage of teaching faculty.
Many departments in the university are being run with only one faculty member augmented by guest lecturer, affecting the teaching, research and other academic pursuits. As the last recruitment of faculty was done in 2006, the Arts and Science streams wait for staff to ensure smooth running of the departments. With more students getting enrolled every year, the student-faculty ratio has gone awry. Though 1,200 posts were sanctioned for the varsity, the rationalisation committee decreased the number to 900 a year ago. At present, AU is functioning with 350 faculty members, including professors, associate professors and assistant professors.
The history, micro-biology and organic chemistry departments are being run with only one permanent faculty each, while the education department has three. Many other departments have not more than five teachers. Given the situation, the varsity is relying on guest faculty. It has hired several associate professors on contract basis.
The Telugu department, which has more research scholars in comparison to the other departments, lacks sufficient faculty members since many years. Of the four professors in the department, three are likely to retire in the next two years.
“With 60 students each in first and second year, four post doctoral fellow scholars are taking classes. But, one professor can’t teach each subject perfectly as it is a PG programme,” said an alumni of the Department of Telugu. The AU has 202 guest faculty who are paid on hourly basis, said vice-chancellor G Nageswara Rao. “During the previous recruitments, majority of the vacancies in engineering branches were filled. The AU Engineering College has around 150 faculty members. Now, the Humanities and Science departments will be given preference in the next recruitment,” he said. Earlier around 381 posts had been sanctioned to AU.
Rationalisation committee reduced professor posts, while increasing assistant professor posts and the government passed a GO to this effect.
“However, the panel’s decision was challenged in the court as allegations were levelled that the committee did not have such powers. All universities have adopted the recommendations of committee. Once the court vacates the case, we will go for recruitment,” the V-C said.